The Soul Mirror
by Teefa and Co
Summary: Finally, a Sequal to Lost But Not Alone. Megami heads to Boot Hill to search for a mysterious treasure. But her lost memories begin to haunt her as she returns to the place where she unknowingly grew up. Can she overcome the pain in her heart?
1. Remniscent Town

**Reminiscent Town**

"Alley! Alley come quick!" Neil called to his wife as he ran into the town of Boot Hill, "It's good news, Hikari has returned to us!" He was a man of twenty three years, with brown/black hair and brown eyes. He had on a leather shawl over a yellow shirt, and red pants. His wife had sandy blond hair and dark blue eyes. She was wearing blue jeans and a blue T-shirt. Both had on a pair of leather boots, and a pair of leather gloves. The woman looked at her husband as if he was insane, who in the world was Hikari? Just then, she saw a white horse galloping through the gates, ridden by a brown haired woman with blue eyes. She had on a brown shirt with a red pocket jacket, red pants held up by a black belt, leather boots with a ruby imbedded on the front, and a red headband. The horse was wearing one of those saddles with a side basket on either side near the back, like the ones used to carry your groceries, done in black leather.

"This woman, who is she? You said something about Hikari, but I've never heard you mention her name before. Is this Hikari someone you've known from your childhood, or a Drifter who saved the town a few years back?" Alley asked. She was feeling jealous, did her husband have a crush on another girl too?

Neil exclaimed, "No, Hikari isn't the one I'm looking for, but it's the name of her horse! Ginny has finally come back to Boot Hill, after being missing for three and a half full years!" He couldn't control his own excitement, he hadn't been the same since the supposed death of his childhood friend. You see, Neil was a very shy boy, really didn't have too many people who liked him. But one day, he heard about how a girl who was often cause for ridicule among her peers had lost both her parents within only a few months. He felt a rare moment of courage, and found himself trying to comfort the girl, whose name was Virginia. The two were best friends ever since. As the years went by, Neil found he was feeling much more than just a friendship for her, but was always too shy to tell her. Then, she left to become a Drifter, and eventually was killed in an accident. But her body had never been found, so nobody knew for sure exactly what happened.

Alley knew that story well, she had been the one to comfort Neil over the loss of his crush. The woman had seen him cry, he never told her how he felt. "Well, I'm happy she's still alive, I remember how you felt after that. It's good that you can talk to her again, even though you won't be able to say your true feelings. I mean, wouldn't Jet shoot you if he found you were roving? He's a tad overprotective of her."

F F F F

"Jet, there's nothing we can do," Neil stated, sadly, "If she's dead, we'll never be able to find her. I don't want to admit it, but she can't still be alive. Virginia would never break a promise and just leave us. I have known her for ten years longer than you, and I know that she's a lot more sensitive than you are Jet." He was about twenty, and was facing another man of about twenty two with silver hair and deep purple eyes. The second was wearing a pair of jeans, a black shirt, leather jacket with his left sleeve rolled up, brown shoes with green belts on the top, a green cuff on the left wrist, a large leather arm piece on his right one, and a pair of black gloves with the fingers cut off. In his left hand was a large submachine gun he owned.

Just then, the silver haired lad smacked Neil down to the ground. It seemed to break him up, the words the younger man had said. Tears of anger were wielded up in his eyes, as if he was trying his best to suppress them. His name was Jet Enduro, and he was a Drifter and Treasure hunter who knew Virginia.

"Don't say that! She's just got to be alive. Just as she never would desert this town, she'd never die before she fulfilled the promise she made me. There was something she wanted to tell me, and we said we'd meet here. Virginia's not gonna die until she and I can meet again," he yelled, his tears beginning to break free. Neil had never seen Jet cry, it was said that he didn't have a sensitive bone in his whole body. But now, he was screaming over a girl that had lead him over the Wastelands over the last year or so.

Neil told him, "That hurt, you know. Jet, you're the realist of their little group, you'd think you of all people would let the truth come forth. Besides, I thought you and Virginia didn't get along too well, always in an argument about something. So why in the world are you now so suddenly concerned about her well being? Wish she would drop dead before the accident?" For the reason Virginia was missing, was there was a small rockslide on a mountain they were exploring. The four Drifters in their team were wanted for a crime they didn't commit, the murder of the founder of the Ark of Destiny, and were being pursued for the reward. A team of crackpot Drifters had trailed them on a mountain, and used explosives to blow up the tunnels. The four were each put on different paths, and were unable to find each other once again after it.

Jet looked at him, and held onto the pouch he kept on his neck. Inside, he pulled out a small gem, given to him by the girl only a few months ago. "I care about her, because she is my wife, and I love her."

F F F F

Neil knew of the missed chance to tell how he really felt went deeper than her death. She had found another man long ago, one of her own comrades. It was no surprise, although the two always fought with one another. Jet was brave, and very strong. No wonder she looked up to him with love and respect.

"Well, as long as she's alive, then she and Jet can be happy," Neil said, "I'm going to go and talk to her, tell her he's been searching for her. That he'll be back in a week or so, then they can be together once more." It didn't bother him about how she'd married another, just as long as Virginia was happy with her life.

Neil walked up to the town's stable, where the woman was putting her horse away. Funny, Neil didn't think Virginia would ever cut her hair, she was extremely proud of her long braid. But maybe she had put on this disguise to fool any pursuers, and that was why she was now sporting a small ponytail and an eye patch over her left eye. Just fool anyone who might try and capture her, then she could be kept safe.

"Ginny, it's been awhile. How are things? You know, with you not telling us what was up and all, your aunt and uncle were really worried. So was Jet, you know he was looking for you all over the place. That's where he is now, out in the Wastelands searching for you. Real devoted guy, that Jet. I didn't know he liked you like that. Come to think of it, why didn't you tell me you had gotten married, I would have brought you a nice gift. Heck, you're my best friend, Virginia, and you deserve it," Neil told the woman.

She turned around suddenly, to face him. Neil could clearly see the scars that riddled her face and arms now, it did look like she'd been in a tragic accident. Then, she asked, "Who is this Virginia you are talking about? My name is Megami, the Treasure Hunter. If you're trying to attack me by catching me off my guard, it will do no good. For I have a bazooka and I know how to use it." She aimed the large weapon at the man, not firing until he showed a threatening presence. It did no good to shoot first and ask later.

- - - -

**Teefa's**** Last Words…**  
  
Yes, I know I haven't posted in a week. I wanted to do this last weekend, but we brought my sis to camp on Saturday and went to my cousin's daughter's birthday on Sunday. And I know it's been awhile since I've worked on a Megami piece. I had to find inspiration for what to write about, and I finally got a new story idea. And F is now being used to indicate a flashback cuz it is the easiest letter to remember. Oi, I'm behind and in a hurry today. Late due to the fact that I have to write on battery power since I'm my mother's helper in her game. You know, the Ever Grace hero Darius looks like Jet. Now the other girls are going to be dragging me away from the computer before I think of a stupid parody…


	2. Megami's Mission

**Megami's**** Mission**

"Me-ga-mi?" asked Neil, "You mean the woman Drifter whose been going around for three years and tearing up any ruin she finds? The one who uses a bazooka to shoot elemental ammo at her enemies? You're really that Megami?" He backed off a little, from what he'd heard Megami was the exact opposite of Virginia. She was supposedly rude, cold, a loner, and a little bit greedy. Meanwhile, Virginia was polite, always cheerful, loved company, and would rather give to other people. How could those two look so alike?

"Yes, and I have come after hearing the rumor of The Soul Mirror, the ruin that contains a legendary treasure. It is supposed to be extremely valuable, so I decided to see what it is. For what others have told me, no Drifter who enters has yet to return, or they left it be because they couldn't take it with them. But I don't fear anything, I'll be able to carry whatever treasure lies inside out of the ruins. Now, can you direct me and my traveling companions to a place where I can spend the night? Lilka! Ashley! We have to get going now, or else we'll fall behind on this treasure hunt," called Megami. Neil wondered who she was talking to, there was only one horse in the barn and no one had come on foot; not that they could keep up. Besides, Megami was said to work alone, so who in the world would be traveling with her on this journey?

His answer came very quickly. A small girl and boy of about three years old dismounted from the side bags on the saddle. The girl had brown hair tied in a braid and purple eyes. She was wearing a white shirt, purple skirt, and leather boots. The boy had messy silver hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, and leather boots. They walked over to the woman, giving Neil odd stares when they saw him. Then, the little girl asked, "Mommy, who is this man? Is he a friend of yours, or maybe your brother?"

Megami glared at the child. "No Lilka, this man thinks I'm someone I'm not. Now then, you and your brother are going to stay at the saloon tomorrow, while I go looking for the treasure. And none of your tricks, you hear, or else you'll be punished for a whole week." Neil looked at her with a shocked expression on his face, how cold was this woman? And to her own children, no doubt, children who weren't very old.

"You maybe should lay off the kid," he suggested, "She is only a three year old. I'm sure she really doesn't know much yet, and wouldn't intentionally try to make you angry. Miss Megami, there is no saloon in this town, it burnt down years ago and nobody ever reopened it. But I'm sure you can stay at the Maxwell residence, they love visitors over there. And Tesla and Shalte are very good with kids, raised their niece for ten years after her parents passed away. I can direct you to it." Looking at those children had made Neil very nostalgic; the girl looked so much like Virginia did when she was a child. And the boy looked much like Jet; except he couldn't be a hundred percent sure since he'd never seen Jet as a child. Almost as if the woman was Virginia in disguise. But if it was, surely she would have told him what was going on at least.

"That would be nice. I need someone to watch these two while I'm working, they can be a handful. But with no living relatives, there's no one I can leave them with. So the both of them are stuck along for the ride," Megami told him. She hated having to explain all of this to people, it was none of their business what had happened in her past. Though it was nicer to say that than going into the long explanation as to how her lover, and the children's father, had passed away in an accident with the rest of her team, and memories of the past. If they thought she was alone, then other people looked at her face and would leave it at that.

. . .

They walked up to the Maxwell house, and Neil knocked on the door. Tesla Maxwell answered it. At forty six, Tesla's life had never been easy. His mom had been killed by a monster in the Wastelands when he was a child, and his father died of illness shortly after his older brother had moved out to live in the science lab where he worked. Then, fifteen years ago, his brother, Werner, had died in an explosion at the lab, but since he'd just left without saying goodbye they all assumed he'd become a Drifter. A few months later, his sister in law, Ekatrina, died of sorrow over her husband's disappearance, a few days before their daughter turned eight. Finally, there was the disappearance of Virginia three and a half years ago, who was the very daughter who saw her father walk out and her mother die of sorrow. Looking at Megami, he felt a ghost from the past had returned. But upon seeing the scowl on her face, he didn't think she could be his niece. Tesla asked her, "And who might you be, young lady? A friend of Neil's? Are you lost our there?"

Megami looked at the man, and felt something come over her. _It appeared to be a small flashback of some sorts, where she saw this man standing with a child who looked just like her. The girl was crying on a cushion in the living room, soaking it with her tears. "Why did Mommy have to die? Why did she have to go away and leave me like Daddy did? Uncle, what am I going to do now? I'm all alone in the world?"_

_ "I know it's sad, but you must be strong," the man replied, "You're never alone. Your mother is watching you from above, taking care of you in your hour of need. She'll never truly leave you, because she loves you with all her heart." The girl smiled at him, and then the dream ended_. Megami wondered what it meant. Did it have something to do with her past? Not like she cared, it was more a burden than anything.

"My name is Megami, and I am a Drifter. I've heard rumors about The Soul Mirror, and have come to this town to check it out. But I need lodgings for the night, as well as someone to watch over my two children. There is nowhere else to leave them, so they must come with me. But it is suicide to take them along, they can't fight for themselves. And if I have to watch over them, I might be killed," she told him.

Tesla said, "It's ok if you stay with us, Miss Megami. I remember my niece when she was that age, she was always so full of energy. Kids this age truly are a handful, it's amazing you have taken care of them on your own for so long. If my niece hadn't vanished, I'm sure she'd respect your strength." Tesla, unlike Neil, had faith that Virginia was still alive, believed she just had to go in hiding for awhile and then she was forced to never come home. One day, Jet would find her and figure out what had happened. He also could very well tell that Megami raised them alone all their lives, it wasn't uncommon at this time for a female Drifter to either be raped in a bar, get drunk and end up in bed with a man, or just have an affair while on their journey. Tesla didn't think she'd lost her lover, just that the father had no care for the twin children.

"I am in your debt, if you need I will pay you for your hospitality. I may be a Treasure Hunter, but I know that to pay good back with evil is what will eventually be your downfall. Just as long as everyone here stays out of my way, I don't want to be bothered. I'll wake up when I want, which is probably earlier than you, and I'll leave when I want. There's no need to take care of me." With that, she followed Tesla up to the room, where she put her stuff. Tesla and Shalte would just have to sleep in Virginia's room for the night, it would be much more polite to give her theirs. For not only did it have more beds, both his and his wife's plus Werner's and Ekartina's, but also he didn't think his niece would appreciate someone else in her room.

- - - -

**Teefa's**** Last Words…**

This was just another insane idea, what would happen if Megami returned to Boot Hill. I thought it would bring about some interesting changes, but how to get her there was the problem. So I invented a ruin for her to look for. I also want to explain the Tools Megami used in "Looking for Her". And the italics means that the person is seeing a vision or a scene on a monitor; but you are still seeing the person. It is different from a flashback.


	3. Flood of Memories

**Flood of Memories**

'This room. . .' mused Megami, 'I feel like I've seen it before. But where? If it weren't for the fact that these people don't seem to recognize who I am, I'd say I stayed in this house when I was younger. But they can't possibly remember every person they meet, especially if they just seek shelter for the night. I bet I had to do something like this before, with the rest of the team, and we rented out this room from those two. There's no way I spent more than that here, else I would have probably been recognized as Megami here.'

Lilka and Ashley ran to the beds, each choosing one to sleep in. Since it was late, Megami knew it was time to put the two of them to bed anyway. She walked over to the bed where Lilka was bouncing on, and gave her daughter a glare. The child giggled, and settled down. Same went for Ashley. Once they had lay down, Megami tucked each of them in, and kissed them goodnight. Then, she went back downstairs.

"I guess you're not tired yet. Well, you're still a young woman, don't need as much sleep as those of us who are middle aged. Or the very young. I take it you left so the twins could get some sleep," Tesla stated. He remembered very well when Virginia was that age, and her mother had trouble getting her to settle down. When she finally did, Ekatrina had to leave the room, or she'd just keep asking questions.

Megami replied, "Of course they're asleep. I can't let them stay up any later than this, else they don't want to wake up in the morning. They'll be staying here tomorrow, can catch up on as much sleep as they want, but once I'm back from the ruins, we all have to get going. I don't want to spend my life stuck in a town, I crave adventures and treasures." She sat down, poured herself some juice, and drank it all down.

Tesla looked at her. "You remind me much of my nephew; my niece's husband. He loves to go on treasure hunts; thinks of it as good income for their team. It was always the two of them, as well as two other men they met one day. I wish you could meet her; she was a really nice girl. But no one has heard from her in over three years, most people have given up hope entirely. The only ones besides us who are still confident are the members of her team, and only her husband is searching for her. One member went back to his home in case she stopped by there for whatever reason; she can tell him what is happening. The other is still on a journey, but doesn't do much searching. He's also returning home more often, since his grandmother has become rather angry about how he never visits, and he doesn't like gaining her wrath."

"Save me the sob story," ordered Megami, "There's nothing I can do for someone who just vanished. I can't even solve half of my own problems, let alone those of total strangers. Those stories aren't for me anyway; I never liked listening to them. I just want to be left alone to get some peace and quiet." With that, she left the house to look for a spot to sit and think. Megami ended up at the cemetery, no one else came there at this hour and it was nice and silent. She sat down on the cool wet earth, and suddenly felt weird.

In front of her, Megami saw a young girl standing near a grave. _The girl appeared to be ten, and had brown hair and blue eyes. In her hands was a small paper flower, which she placed on it. Taking up the white flower that was already there, she twirled it between her fingers. It seemed to perplex the small child._

_ "Who leaves these at Mommy's grave? Uncle and Auntie don't, and Daddy's gone. I know I don't know where to find flowers in this Wasteland, so it couldn't be me. But who could be able to find the flower that Mommy loved so much in life, and would give some to her so freely? I always see them," she stated_.

Megami thought, 'The Wasteland has been slowly rejuvenating for ever since I can remember. Is this a ghost from long ago, a child who died and still visits her mother's grave?' She took a look at the stone the girl was standing next to, and the child didn't notice her. On it, was the name Ekatrina Maxwell, the sister-in-law of her hosts. Next to it was the grave of her husband, Werner, which looked newer than the first. But the child didn't notice it at all, thinking her Daddy wasn't dead, but gone away. Megami waved her hand in front of the child's face, and nothing happened. Then, the girl stood up, and walked into the house.

Noticing that she'd returned to her hosts' home, Megami was stunned. They told her that their niece was a Drifter, and an adult. So why would her ghost take the form of a child? Before she could try to figure that one out, she saw an older girl walk out of the house towards the grave. Again, she picked up a Tiny Flower, in wonder at why it was there. When she took a closer look, Megami realized it was the same girl, only several years older than when she'd been out before. Now, the woman, who was about eighteen, was telling her mother that she was finally going to fulfill her dreams and be a Drifter, and help people out there in the Wasteland. She seemed excited; there was no knowledge of the dangers in her future. When she left, Megami shook her head. It was only the night's air; there were no ghosts in this lonely graveyard.

The next day, she prepared to saddle her Hikari for the long journey. Packing a light lunch, Megami gave both her children a small hug goodbye. In the room, of course, with the others not around to see her. For she was only stone outwardly, but her heart was truly in the right place for those two children. Knowing they were safe, and would behave for their hosts, she left for the stables. There, she got Hikari ready, and galloped out of town, towards the east where the ruin was said to have been found, past Southfarm Station.

It appeared to be some sort of giant building made of glass, but glass would be too easy to shatter. Megami deduced that something must have been added to make it tougher and more durable. Either that or it was a glass like stone that she didn't know about, for diamonds would be way too expensive to build with.

'It makes sense,' thought Megami, 'This is The Soul Mirror, so why shouldn't the ruin look like a mirror of some sorts? I hope there're some rare treasures inside of this place, this better not be a waste of my time.' She walked up the stairs, towards the entrance. But when she got there, Megami froze. A voice was in her head, and she didn't know where it came from! She'd never heard it before, and it was deafening.

=If you wish to enter here, you must be willing to face your fears, Drifter woman. For I see you, your past, your present, your future. If you wish to come into my sanctuary, be willing to let these be shown to you, your memories,= it told her. Megami just scoffed, this thing didn't scare her. She'd get the treasure whether she had to fight for it or not. The woman then put her foot on the first step, and started to climb.

- - - -

**Teefa's**** Last Words…**

I know the ghost scenes were quite cheesy. Well, remember, nobody knows that Megami is Virginia, not even if she's still alive. So she would think that her flashbacks are just the ghost of the woman who "died". And = is my new version of telepathy. Well the asterisks don't work anymore so I had to find something else.


	4. Ordeal

**Ordeal**

            In the first room, Megami was faced with a chasm.  On either side was a pole, just right for her to hook onto.  She picked up an item from her backpack, a grappling hook.  Two and a half years ago, when she was fighting some thieves to take their loot, she'd discovered it among the items.  It had seen much use, getting her over chasms in ruins.  Once on the other side, there was two doors.  The first led to a long corridor, while the second to a vacant room.  Taking the room, Megami searched for something to filch.

            On a counter, she saw a strange device.  Picking it up, the woman realized it was a radar of some sort, but more powerful.  Testing it out, she found the dungeon's map had suddenly come up on screen. On it was the location of every treasure that had been left inside the place, appearing as a blinking spot on the map.  Megami had heard rumors of the Extended Radar, but never before had she found one.  She kept it.

            Backtracking, she went down the corridor opposite the room.  It ended some time later, after it had snaked around many areas of the ruins.  Throughout the entire corridor, there were rooms filled with Gella, healing items, and other valuable treasures she could sell.  From what the radar told her, Megami could see only one more treasure left to find, but it was through a series of rooms.  Taking the final door in the corridor, Megami headed towards the treasure, the place where the legendary item must have been placed long ago.

            =Welcome, Megami,= the voice from the entrance beckoned, =I knew you wouldn't back down from the challenge.  In order to get my treasure, you must face your fears.  We call this The Soul Mirror, because it can tell you a reflection of yourself.  I must say, you are quite an interesting case, Megami, never before have I seen a man or woman quite like you.  There is something here that puts my senses out of whack.=

            "If you're here to test me, you sure are doing a poor job of it!  Let's just get this over with, so I can go back to town and move on.  This isn't my scene, all these stupid conversations," she yelled.  It appeared as if the voice was knocked off guard, and thinking of a good comeback for her.  Megami always was good with debating and arguments, that was why she always got the best prices off of her employers, debating.

            The voice boomed, =Silence, woman!  You are just an empty shell, there is little left of your soul.  I feel that you were once pure, a soul that everyone else could feel warmth from, and who cared about what happened to herself and others.  But now, you are no more than a shell of your former self, you care about no one but yourself.  How can any human being live such an empty life, without the love of other people?=

            Megami was seething as he spoke.  "Shut up!  How DARE you act like you know everything about me?  You don't even know what I've been through.  Just leave me alone, unless you want to give me your little test.  Either let me take this stupid ordeal, or quit it with the cracks about who I am."  The part about her not caring about anyone but herself stung, she cared greatly about Lilka and Ashley.  If this was a divine being of some sort that was testing her, one claiming omnipotence, he should see how she loved her kids.

            =Very well then,= the man said, =I will allow you to take the test.  But be prepared, you don't want to face the past so this will be painful.  Pass this one, and you can move on to the next room.  If you can take all my challenges, and succeed in facing them, then you will be given the final treasure in the ruins.  No man has ever taken my test and passed, they are too afraid.  Most either fail, turn back in frustration, or die from self inflicted wounds in order to take away their pain.  Can someone like you be able to defeat my terrors?=

            "Bring it on, I'm not afraid of anything.  Besides, I'm not a man, and you'd better not compare me to one or you'll be dead the second I run into you for real," Megami threatened.  She heard a sigh, a female one, coming from her body.  Ever since she could remember, Megami had Invoked some of the Guardians that protected Filgaia, something to do with a trip to Baskar long ago.  Raftina, the Guardian of Love, was forever trying to help her open up a little more, saying she must allow herself to have friends.  But the death of her lover and partners had made her retract into a shell, never again would death hurt Megami's emotions.

            The voice told her, =Then take this, and face your fears.=  Suddenly, an image began to appear, a little blurry at first but slowly clearing up.  The person had silver hair and purple eyes, and he was dressed for traveling in the harsh Wastelands.  Megami gasped, it was her dead lover, Ryu!  He looked at her, a tear falling down his face.  She backed up a bit, what was he trying to accomplish by bringing Ryu's ghost back?

            The man looked at her, and his face turned stern.  "Why in the heck do you even care about me?  It's not like I have my own feelings.  I don't even have my own life, being dragged around by fate ever since I was born.  You, on the other hand, could have left at any time, it wasn't your destiny to stay and fight here."  He glared at the woman, just like how she would glare at other people.  There was no question in her mind who exactly had taught her how to act now.  It was Ryu who had taken her under his wing back then.

            "Ryu, what are you saying?" asked the woman, "Your destiny?  What was your destiny?  I don't know what happened in the past, but if you felt trapped in your own life you should have seeked my help in fixing it."  She looked at him, feeling a pain burn though her heart.  How she missed him, even though she wanted to forget him.  Megami thought about Ryu before she slept at night, tears had stained her sheets on at least one occasion.  His face was always fresh in her mind, no matter how far from the pain she ran now.

            Megami wanted to take Ryu in her arms, to hold him there and protect him from his every pain.  But you can't hold a dream, and he went right through her.  She felt torn apart, she could see him but not hold him like before.  If she could take back the accident, she would, she'd do anything for him to have been with her when the children were born, to have taken care of them throughout their entire childhood up until now.

            Soon, she could see Ryu begin to fade.  He looked sad, almost, as if he really didn't want to go.  But he had been sad over his destiny at that time, so she wondered if it really was Ryu, or just a dream of him.  Megami called out to him not to leave her, but her calls were unheard.  He faded out, and she was left all alone once again.  Falling to the floor, she tried to reach out for him, hoping to call Ryu back home again.

            =That's more like it, your old heart is still alive deep inside that rotting body of yours.  If you can only call it forth once again, then maybe you'll find true happiness.  Now, we must move on to the next room, and the next test.  You must continue to discover yourself, if you wish to succeed in this,= the voice said.  He didn't seem to realize how broken up Megami seemed, losing her beloved all over again.  It hurt the first time it had happened, so it hurt double the second time.  She knew she'd die if she went through it another time.

- - - -

**Teefa's**** Last Words…**

Well, we still have a few more encounters before the story ends.  More emotional trauma for Megami.  Now, onto the PS2.  I've been leveling my mother up in a game called Ever Grace; it's a regular slash the enemy with a weapon like in a Zelda game.  The boy hero, Darius, he looks like Jet.  I swear, silver hair, and he has two scarves.  The eye color I think is wrong, and the rest of the clothes are only remotely similar in some places.  I think waaaaaaaaaaay too much into this stuff.


	5. Okami, Raion, Battles

**Okami****, Raion, & Battles**

            After Megami recovered from the illusion of Ryu, she left through the door.  In the next room, she saw what appeared to be some sort of saloon, complete with a scene of people laughing and drinking.  One of the men at the bar was over six feet tall, with brown hair done up in several ties, and blue eyes.  He was in the garb of a Baskar, and had a cup of beer in his hand.  There was something familiar about him, but the woman couldn't tell exactly what it was.  Then, Megami saw what appeared to be the shadow of a wolf.

            'Okami,' she thought, 'The second of my companions.  From what I can remember, he was a bit of a drinker.  But that's all I can think of, he's never in my mind like Ryu is.  Well, I was in love with Ryu, while Okami was no more than a friend.  Probably more like an older brother than a friend, but I'm not quite sure.'

            "Yo, I didn't think you'd be here too.  Did the sulky punk say something to you again?  I don't see how you can stand him as much as you do.  After all, he always is cross with you for some reason that we can't explain.  You're the only person I know who can tolerate him," Okami stated.  The man walked up to her, noticing that the girl seemed to be shocked by his statement.  Who was the "sulky punk", anyway?  No one in her mind seemed to be sulky to her, could he be talking about Ryu for some reason or another?  Ryu did seem to have an attitude, from her vision of him in the other room and the few remaining memories of the man who had stolen her heart away.  However, she didn't know if there was any rivalry between those two.

            She replied, "Okami, whatever vendetta you have against Ryu should be forgotten now.  It was bad enough to have lost you guys in the accident, but to know that even in death you guys are fighting with one another isn't something I wanted to hear.  My life is horrid enough, I haven't quite lived since Ryu passed away, leaving me to raise our two children on my own."  Megami held back her tears, trying to cover up the emotions that were running through her head.  There was no need to cry, if she did she would seam weak.

            Okami began to fade.  "Where is that punk?  I'll go beat him up for you if he's acting like a jerk to you.  Doesn't he realize that's not the way to treat a lady?"  He ran from the room, into one of the bedrooms they'd rented for the night.  Yelling ensued, and then Okami ran out after Ryu had tried to shoot him for the unprovoked attack.  He ducked under the bar, while Ryu sighed and returned to his room to get some rest.

. . .

            She wasn't as affected by this as she was when she'd spoken with Ryu.  After all, this was only her unofficial big brother figure, one who seemed to be not too bright.  So it didn't take nearly as long to recover and go on to the next room.  This one seemed to be a comfortable home, where there was a small child on the couch next to a man with green hair, glasses, and blue eyes.  The child had blond hair and hazel eyes, and was decked in blue.  Her father seemed to be reading some sort of book to his child, as she giggled.

            Megami looked at him, squinting.  She could see an outline of a lion around the man.  'Raion, the brave leader of our party.  He was always the smart one, if I remember correctly.  I didn't know he had a child, but then again I probably just forgot it in the accident.  Let's see, I think he was my mentor, in the thinking aspect of a Drifter's life.  Ryu was definitely my teacher in the ways of surviving, techniques to keep a person safe when it appears as if all is lost.  But again, I could just be forgetting what happened out there.'

            "Well, I see you're rested up," Raion stated, "That's good, I was worried you were sick.  You haven't been feeling your best all week.  Now then, could you kindly help me with something?  Catherine is busy making dinner, and I've got to read a book to Kaitlyn.  So can you run to the market and pick up something for tomorrow's rations?  You wanted to leave in the morning, to continue on to our next destination soon."

            'Yup, the smart one.  He sounds like an intellect.  I guess Raion was the brains, Ryu the survival expert, and Okami the brawn.  What was I?  I'm not super strong, nor super smart.  And I learned all of my survival skills from Ryu.  So why was I even accepted onto their team in the first place?  More manpower for a dangerous trip?  Did they want someone who could be the scout?  Or was it all just a case of dumb luck?"

            Again the vision began to fade, and she stepped through the door into the next room.  There, in the hall, was what appeared to be a sort of stadium.  Standing in the middle was a man with shadowed features.  His hair seemed long, and his body dressed in robes.  He aimed a spell at her, and she countered with her own magic.  The image switched over to a short haired woman in similar robes, and the same scene played out with her countering the woman's magic.  Another similar image, this time in the form of a short haired man; and the same outcome.  Then she saw a large figure dressed in armor, dulling his features.  He shot a strange spell at her, coming out of a long spear.  Megami dodged the attack with ease, and was able to get on the rebound from there.  There was a connection between the figures, or at least there seemed to be one.

            Suddenly, she saw a golem before her, with a brown body, blue barriers on his arms, and horns on his head.  It aimed an attack from his fists, knocking her down.  Megami could tell that this one too seemed to be connected to the others, but not one of the controlling factors in their group.  She got up, holding a wounded shoulder.  Then, she attacked again with her Ice spell, Refrigerate.  Like the others, it vanished and didn't even finish the battle they were conducting.  This made Megami begin to wonder about the group.

            She thought, 'If these are my enemies, why was I showed them like this?  Could it be a symbol of how quickly our powers defeated them?  Or maybe this vision is just showing who I fought.  But why was the golem clearer than anything else?  Maybe because a golem is a front line combat weapon, and the others were the sneaky, behind the scenes until needed planning a next move type.  That's the only one of the many answers I can come up with that would be halfway logical."  Megami scratched her head on this.

            =Close, but that's not the reason.  Your enemies were people, so I really didn't want you to go over the top when you saw their faces and were flushed with memories of what happened.  But golems, although they are all different, do share the same mechanical wavelength; throwing senses off track.  By seeing your enemies, you would be flooded with the senses you felt from past battles.  There is no such problem with a golem, those who have the energy necessary to sense things aren't able to find the location of that warrior.=

            Suddenly, she heard a wicked laugh.  Turning around, Megami saw another shadowed form.  This one was that of a man with hair cut so close to his scalp that none hung down.  In his hands was a giant ARM, a bayonet.  He aimed and fired.  Although Megami was able to dodge the attack, the man wasn't a tiny bit fazed.  He transformed into a more demonic looking silhouette, with what appeared to be fish fins on various parts of his body.  And in his hands, held high above his head, was the spear of the armored figure.

- - - -

**Teefa's**** Last Words…**

Yes, that's how I think she relates to the characters. . .Jet is her lover, Gallows is that older brother that you can't help but enjoy teasing, and Clive is the father figure or mentor.  Heck, the relationship between Clive and his family is the same as the one between Werner and his family.  Both Werner and Clive were away from home trying to save Filgaia, and in the end are unable to return (Werner dies and Clive has to hide from the Ark).  Only difference is that Clive can sneak home to visit or even rely on the town to protect him since they seem like an extended family.  Also, the rejuvenation of Filgaia worked for by Virginia & co. worked as opposed to the Council dying.


	6. Final Challenge

**The Final Challenge**

            The spear came down and hit Megami on the shoulder.  Pain flooded through her body, but there was no wound.  It appeared as if the pain was a mere illusion at first glance, but she thought better of it after a moment.  This pain the man, no Demon, had inflicted on her…it was a memory of past pain she had felt in a similar fight.  He WAS an opponent she'd defeated in the past, but what exactly she couldn't say.  In a split second, Megami saw him on the offensive again, but this time, a hail of bullets came from behind her.

            Looking back, she saw the images of her allies.  Each held out his ARM, backing her up in the fight with this man.  Ryu walked forward, and Megami was comforted.  She grabbed her bazooka, and fired one of her Light Shells at him.  But unlike Ryu's barrage of machine gun fire, this one had no effect on the creature.

            =You must fight with the past,= the voice told her, =I, The Soul Mirror, can see that you are trying to abandon even your past way of fighting.  But you still carry the Duel Pistols at your side; the ARMs your own father taught you how to wield.  Use their power, for the present is no good in my domain.=  With his words, the area around Megami distorted.  She found she could see out of both eyes again, and she was in the same clothes she'd been wearing the day of the accident.  Her bazooka was no where to be found, all she had left was the pair of pistols she kept in her side holsters.  Picking them up, she fired on the enemy.

            These shots hit, but he wasn't out yet.  He then cast a spell from the spear; a weaker version of the one used by the armored figure.  Everyone was thrown back, and Megami felt she had to do something fast to keep her team alive.  Turning to assess the damage, she saw that Ryu was badly wounded, he needed help fast!  Ignoring her enemy, Megami found herself nursing his wounds with a Heal Berry.  Ryu gave her a small smile, he was happy to see her care about him.  Then he turned away to hide the blush on his face.

            'You were a stubborn one, my love.  I guess I know where I get it from.  I wonder, was that voice in my head in the dream I had in Ballack Rise really his?  Most likely, I was always thinking of him, even in my darkest hour.  I only wanted to never be hurt again.  I try my best never to be hurt again.  Because all this thinking of you, and holding back tears of sorrow over your death is a royal pain in the butt,' Megami mused.

            She turned back to the battle, protecting Ryu.  Firing all the shots in her gun off for a Gatling attack, Megami knocked her foe backwards into a wall.  He then vanished, like all the other enemies she had faced in this room of fights.  Turning towards her allies, Megami looked at each one of them.  They smiled; well Okami and Raion smiled while Ryu was just trying to hide his blush, and began to fade once again.  This time, Megami couldn't hold back a tear, she didn't want to see them all leave her again.  When she went to this ruin, the Drifter had no idea she would find her past, just as cryptic as before.  All she wanted was to find treasure, not see scenes that only alluded to her existence, but offered no explanation as to where she came from originally.  Longing to touch him once more, she watched as Ryu faded out, he was the last one to go.  But before he left her once again, Ryu gave the woman he loved, whose children he fathered, a smile.

. . .

            In the final room, Megami saw what appeared to be a treasure box on top of an altar.  Opening it up, she saw two things inside.  One was a small map, which held the location of a ruin she might want to check out next.  And second, she saw a picture lying face down.  Megami picked it up and looked.  It appeared to be one of her and Ryu, although how the Soul Mirror had found it, she didn't know.  If anything, that was a personal matter.  Luckily, it wasn't something not for children's eyes.  It was them in a loving embrace on a cool winter's night, before she was wounded and he was killed.  The two of them looked so happy in that.

            The Soul Mirror told her, =You have passed.  Your test is over; take this and find yourself.  There isn't much in that ruin, but I'm sure you can remember going there.  It's called Serpent's Coils, and in that place your beloved showed he cared for the first time.  I'd take care if I were you, you should not go there if you are afraid of the past.  I saw how it hurt you, so you should be strong if you want to travel to that place.=

            Megami was annoyed.  "I'm not afraid of anything!  And what happened to the Ultimate Treasure I was supposed to find here?  For Pete's sake, I didn't come for something as worthless as a hint towards the past I lost!  Why should I search for it?  So I can remember and grieve about the allies who died long ago?"

            =You know little, how do you even know if they're dead?= asked the Soul Mirror, =You didn't see the others; never found their bodies.  I can't tell, since I'm hooked into your memories at the moment, but I do know that there's a chance that they're alive.  Maybe, you should stay in town for a little and hope that one of them returns there soon.  Who knows, maybe Ryu will one day come back to you and your children.=  The voice faded away, never to be heard by Megami again.  She sunk to the floor, angry at all her effort.

            'I never want to deal with this again.  I won't go to that stupid place, there's no need to remember the things that Ryu did for me.  And I'm not wasting my time sitting in that little town, twiddling my thumbs.  Lilka, Ashley, and I will leave, right away.  It's not like Ryu is going to come back, how does this creature know he will?  They would never have left me, so they must have died.  If they thought I was dead, Ryu  at least would hold me in his arms and carry my body back to town for a proper burial,' the woman told herself.

            So she threw the map and picture down, and began to go back through the rooms.  They were set up much like they had been before, when she'd first seen them.  Megami could see what appeared to be wax figurines in each, depicting the scene she had remembered.  She paid no attention to any of them, but when she came to the one with her and Ryu, she stopped.  There he was, standing with her once again.

            Megami took the two wax statues, and push their bodies together, just as she remembered in her dream world.  Ryu and Megami were now in a loving embrace, as it was meant to be.  But even that couldn't bring him back to life, it was no more than a picture she created for herself.  Suppressing tears, the woman continued towards the exit.  But on the way out, she saw what appeared to be a silver haired man standing on the steps.  Looking up at him, trying to see what he wanted with her, she noticed his violet eyes.  Then, he disappeared, he was just another illusion.  Probably either a remnant of The Soul Mirror, or her own mind.

            She muttered, "This was just a big waste of time.  I got little money, few useful treasures, and just a few snippets of my past.  I better go fetch Lilka and Ashley, and hope they're ok.  Those people better be as good as the man told me they were with kids, else I'll be one annoyed lady when I get back to town to pick up my children."  Remounting Hikari, who stood waiting for her mistress to return, she headed back to town.

- - - -

**Teefa's**** Last Words…**

It seemed only fitting to make the full fight be with Janus.  You do fight him more than any other recurring boss, a total of seven times.  And he's a royal pain to fight; Negative Rainbow kicks your butt.


	7. Farewell

**Farewell**

Once back in town, Megami returned to the Maxwell residence, to pick up Lilka and Ashley. She found her children on the floor, playing with modeling clay. Shalte was making some lunch for everyone in the house, while Tesla was reading a book. Both were taking peeks at the children every so often, so not to lose track of them. But since they were so immersed in their project, neither child would get into trouble.

"You're back, Miss Megami," said Tesla, "So what treasure did you find? You seemed to be in a real hurry to finish up, if it only took you a few hours." When he saw the pained look on Megami's face, he was sure she'd run into a problem. The last time he'd seen a look like that on a person, it was right after his brother had died, and his sister-in-law had finally given up hope. Ekatrina had looked just like that before the woman ended up passing away of her sorrow. Virginia looked like that for several weeks after her death too.

"The only good thing I found was this Extended Radar Tool. There were some gems, and Gella, but I found nothing of great value. It appeared as if the whole ruin is dedicated to looking into the souls of those who traverse it. It's 'Ultimate Treasure' was a photograph of me and the children's father, and a map that led to an already cleaned out ruin that I went to years ago. There is no value in all of that, I can't eat by paying for my dinner with a photo and a worthless map," she stated. Megami had turned from extremely sad and depressed looking, to being very much annoyed in two seconds flat. Tesla wondered what was her problem.

Lilka and Ashley exclaimed, "Mommy's home! Mommy's home!" Then, the two of them ran to her, and she took them in her arms. Even Ashley, who wasn't as big on emotional scenes as his sister, liked it when his mother showed them how much she cared. Especially when she was open about it, usually the woman only hugged and kissed her children when there was no one else around to tell her she was soft.

Tesla looked at the family, smiling. 'This woman, she is truly a kind soul deep inside. Just like Jet, she seems to have something in her past that makes her cold and distant. But her children are her only solace, I wouldn't be surprised if her pain comes from whatever happened with the father of her children, he might have caused her pain. If only she would find someone to care about her, to be willing to help her in raising her children, then maybe Megami's heart can be unlocked once more. No one deserves to be left in the dark, having their heart sealed away. Just like Ginny helped Jet, I'm sure someone can save Megami.'

"Well, I must be going then," Megami informed him, "It has been nice spending some time in a town like this, since I can actually get some peace and quiet, but I must move on. After all, I can't feed my kids if I'm staying in an area with no ruins to search out. Without treasure and Gella, all three of us will starve." It was starting to get to her, how she was being so soft in front of this man. What was it about this town that gave her such a strange feeling. It was almost as if she'd been here before. But she'd never seen Boot Hill.

"Don't be so hasty. If you would like, I can give you room and board, as well as help you to find a job in this town. If you like it here, there's no reason you should have to leave. I'd be happy to help out a young mother trying to give her children a good life. We're a small farming community, and I can see you have a knack with the horses. So maybe you can get a job working the horse plow, or breeding horses to sell. There's a lot to do around here for someone with your phenomenal strength," Tesla told the Drifter girl.

Megami replied, "I can't do that. Since I was a Drifter in my past, I must be one in my future. The life I lead is just too exciting to give up. If you were a Drifter, you'd understand. Besides, I made a promise to go somewhere, and I must find exactly where that is. It may be your town, but it may be across the land in a town that you've never even heard of. So the only thing I can do now, is to search it out, to find out what I must do now." She gave a look to Lilka and Ashley, telling them that it was time to get going towards their next destination. Megami was planning on going to Jolly Roger once more, as Filgaia's 'Rumor Capital' it was a good place to start searching out a job of some sort to get some Gella and treasures. Or hear about a town that was recently found out about after having been lost long ago due to some incident or another.

Shalte looked up. "At least stay for lunch, you need to eat if you want to get your strength up. I wouldn't want to send away a starving woman into the harsh Wastelands in order to look for a treasure, she might just pass out from hunger and die. And don't tell me I'm acting like this because you're a woman, I tell the same thing to my nephew, he's a little too eager sometimes. I swear he'd rather die than fail to save the woman he loves. That's how tight their bond is, even though they've been apart for over three years." The woman gave them a small smile, telling them not to worry about anything. Shalte really enjoyed the art of cooking, she always loved to make something special for Virginia and the rest of her team in the past.

. . .

Megami and the children each had a good sized sandwich, Shalte packed it full of various meats and vegetables, just so they wouldn't go hungry. Then, she gave them some Beef Jerky for the road, as it was one of the few non-perishable foods that a person could bring with them while on a trip of some sorts.

Packing her bags, and thanking her hosts, Megami began to leave with the children after lunch was finished. She returned to the stable, where the woman saddled up Hikari for the long journey. Although she had a Teleport Orb, Megami loved to go by train. So did the children, they'd taken one once for the heck of it and all found that it was relaxing. Now that she was getting better, knowing a wide range of tactics to use in battle, and her children were older, Megami didn't feel so worried about them getting hurt if monsters in the fields attacked them. So, she had complete confidence that she could reach Southfarm without trouble.

But on the way, she happened to pass another horse. It was a golden brown color, and on top of it sat a man with silver hair and purple eyes! If she didn't already know he was dead, Megami would have sworn it was Ryu, his horse looked exactly like that. Her good eye was looking straight at him, as he had passed her on the right side. It appeared as if he was on his way to Boot Hill for some reason, but she was not informed of what it was. Then Megami remembered, apparently the nephew of Tesla and Shalte looked like that. Probably back from another fruitless search. He didn't concern her, she had to get to the station and catch her train right away. If she'd looked back, she might have seen him stop to stare right at her.

'She looked like Virginia,' thought Jet, 'But it couldn't be, if it was Ginny she would have stopped to talk to me, to make sure it was me and not just an illusion. And she would have been waiting in Boot Hill, since Shalte and Tesla would have told her that I came home every weekend to see if she'd managed to come back. Ginny wouldn't leave on the day I was supposed to return to her, I guess I'm just imagining things now. How much I must miss her to start doing that.' He held onto his head, and turned around once again. Then, the young Drifter began heading towards Boot Hill. He would meet the woman named Megami again, when that time came he would be drawn up into an adventure to find the woman he loved more than life itself was right there before his eyes, waiting for the time when he would come back to awaken her.

- - - -

**Teefa's**** Last Words…**

Sorry I'm late with this; the login kept being down whenever I was ready to post. I wanted to tie this into "Looking For Her", to tell about how Megami and Jet passed one another, not realizing their lover was right before them. I know I forgot the Grenade. Here's how she get's it. In her next ruin forray, somewhere on the Gunner's Haven Continent, she comes across a cache of explosives left by Alfred Schroedinger on accident. One of them is the refillable grenade. Case closed.


End file.
